It isn’t often that restaurants aim to have a chaotic, rowdy atmosphere, but that’s exactly the goal for Tapori, the new South Asian street food restaurant coming to H Street NE on March 12.
Chef Suresh Sundas and Bar Director Dante Datta, the owners of Daru, have spent the last two years dreaming up this space. They want diners to feel like they are eating at a bustling street food market, with dishes ranging from Southern India to Nepal, Sundas’s native country, and cocktails made with imported Indian spirits.
Chef Suresh Sundas (left) and Dante Datta (right) of Tapori. (Photo courtesy of Deb Lindsey)
What’s On the Menu
Tapori features a mix of small street food-style bites and full entrees. Nepalese snacks like bison momos and buffalo chili sit alongside Mumbai favorites like vada pav with spicy potato and mint chutney. But if you only get one thing, Sundas says to order the dosa filled with aloo masala (spicy potato) and served with coconut and tomato chutneys.
Wash It Down With A Drink
The cocktail menu highlights Indian-spirits, like Feni, an apple-based spirit from Goa, and mixes them with Himalayan botanicals. Think dirty martinis with Indian pickling juice, guava mint swizzles, and a pornstar martini with chaat masala and jackfruit puree. Drinks lean tropical and fun over traditional. “Daru was all about doing twists on classical drinks; we will do some of that but want to take more of a tropical approach,” said bar director Dante Datta.
Tapori makes all its bread in house. (Photo courtesy of Deb Lindsey)
Designed For Chit-Chatting
The restaurant is designed to encourage conversation with an open kitchen and a huge 22-person communal table at the center. Vintage mis-matched tiles and colorful murals are meant to invoke the feeling of “Tapori,” a rowdy Mumbai street culture (“vagabond” in Hindi) that became popular through Bollywood films. “We want to bring a more lively, chaotic atmosphere to H Street,” says Sundas.
😋 Inside Scoop: Where Is the Tapori Team Eating?
Sundas loves Mama Chang’s in Fairfax (a popular favorite among DMV chefs). Meanwhile Datta is a big Michael Rafidi fan and makes a point to eat at Yellow and Albi when he can. He also loves Moon Rabbit and Panda Gourmet.
